Rubber tees vs supple TPU.
Stiff rubber mashes flat over time. Supple TPU flexes on contact and returns to shape, so the height stays honest and the needle points spring back.
The material difference
The "rubber" in most range rubber tees is a stiff EVA or vulcanized rubber compound with a Shore A hardness of about 70 to 80. It feels firm. Over hundreds of strikes it compresses and does not fully recover, so the effective tee height drops by 10 to 20% within a season.
TPU 95A
Thermoplastic polyurethane at Shore A 95 is harder than typical rubber tees but more elastic. It deforms under load, then returns to shape. Tee height stays consistent across thousands of strikes.
Why TPU matters for the four points
The ball balances on four thin TPU needle points. Soft TPU gives those points two properties a rigid plastic or wooden tee does not have:
- The points flex when the club brushes them, instead of snapping. They bend out of the way and spring back.
- The anchor spikes self-seal. The soft TPU spikes part the grass fibers and grip the rubber, then the puncture relaxes shut when you lift the tee out. Steel leaves a permanent hole; soft TPU does not.
The strike feel
Rubber tees can spring back into the club face on a low strike, transferring shock. TPU absorbs and dissipates. Less wrist sting on a skulled iron.